


Wicked Game

by eliotandq



Category: Little Women (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:48:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28921584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliotandq/pseuds/eliotandq
Summary: Laurie finds out that all his youth, he has devoted his love and time to the wrong March sister. Now he has to make Amy sure that he really loves her and get rid of her doubts. And he is doing great for a while, but when they get back home, something goes wrong and Amy starts to avoid him.
Relationships: Theodore Laurence & Josephine March, Theodore Laurence/Amy March
Comments: 26
Kudos: 66





	1. Paris

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little obsessed with these two. So, of course, I had to write something. So far, I think it will have three parts, so we'll see how it goes. However, I will be happy for comments and kudos! <3 I hope you are all doing well in these times.

Amy was on her way home from school, wondering what she would write to Laurie today. She did it practically every day. The way from school to Aunt March's apartment led along the Seine, so it was so easy to think about what she would write to home and Laurie. Thanks to Aunt March, she was able to study art in Paris. She paid for her school and let her live in her apartment for free. Amy was working in a museum and sometimes taught children to paint, but doesn't earn enough money to fly home to her family very often. That's why she was more than happy to hear from Laurie that he had started working for his grandfather's company in London. London was also far from Paris, but still closer than Concord. They wrote to each other almost every day, and her longing for her family often diminished thanks to him.

She thought so hard about what she would write today to the boy, who had owned her heart for so long, that she had forgotten to keep an eye on where she was going. And so it happened that she bumped into someone.

"I am sorry!" she blurted out immediately, looking up to see who she had bumped into so bluntly. And she was shocked. “Laurie!”

The dark-haired young man also looked surprised for a second. “Amy! You’re so grown up!” he said with a huge smile and hugged her.

“What are you doing here?” asked Amy, still a little shocked, as she hugged him back.

"I came to surprise you," he replied, pulling away from her. "I stopped by Aunt March's first, but when you didn't open, I headed to the school. And then I hardly even recognize you. You’ve become so beautiful.”

“Please don’t,” she said annoyed, but the smile did not leave her face. She couldn't help herself. Laurie had always flirted with everyone, but it still warmed her heart. She couldn't believe that Jo had rejected him. She was crazy! On the other hand… Jo and Laurie were too alike. Marmee said they didn't get along romantically, and she was probably right. It didn't change the fact that she felt sorry for Laurie, because she knew very well what it was like to love a person who didn't reciprocate your feelings.

"Let me help you with these," he said softly, taking the folder with drawings from her hand. “I am staying at a hotel near your apartment. I suggest you keep your school stuff at home and then we can take a walk.”

“That sounds great. How long are you staying?”

“We will see,” he answered mysteriously. To be honest, he didn’t know yet. When Jo turned him down, it was very painful for him. For many months he drowned in alcohol and sought the company of foreign women. When the pain disappeared enough for him to decide to start doing something, he began working for a family company in London. But it wasn't until he got in touch with Amy again that he realized that Jo was right. They were in touch every day, and over time he forgot about the other women, the alcohol, and finally Jo. Not that he completely forgot about Jo, she was his best friend. He forgot that he loved her, or more precisely, concluded that the love he felt for her was only friendly and would always be. With each new message from Amy, his feelings about her changed until he couldn't stand it and decided to come to Paris to see her. He thought this was it. What he felt for Amy… it was true love. At least he thought that. Now he had to make sure.

“So when do you begin your great work of art, Raphaella?” he asked after a while when they were just walking in silence. She always wrote to him what she had painted that day. Sometimes he persuaded her to even send him a photo of her paintings, and he couldn't wait to see them himself. He was really proud of her. He always was. But it was different back in Concord. He was proud of all March sisters. And she was so young. It would never have occurred to him to think about her differently. Also, he thought he loved Jo at the time.

“Never,” she whispered.

“What- why?” he blurted out, confused.

“Because I lied to you! I’m a failure. Jo is in New York, being a writer, and I am a failure,” she sighed defeated. She absolutely loved studying art but found that she was nothing special. It made her sad, but that's just the way it was.

“That’s quite a statement to make at twenty,” he said slowly. He was taken aback by her words.

“Don’t get me wrong, I still love art unconditionally. But the thing is that Paris made me realize I’d never be a genius. I’m giving up all my foolish artistic hopes. Well, I'll finish school obviously, but that’s it,” she explained. Even though she was already determined, she didn't want to tell anyone about it yet. But she couldn't lie into his eyes, he would know it.

“Why should you? You have so much talent and energy.”

Amy waited a moment to answer, while she was looking for the keys in her backpack as they came to the building where she currently lived. It wasn't until they entered the building and then went up three floors to the aunt's apartment that she sighed and answered: “Talent isn’t genius, and no amount of energy can make it so. I want to be great, or nothing. I won’t be a common-place dauber, so I don’t intend to try anymore.”

Laurie put the folder with her drawings down on the table. He didn’t agree with her. Art was her passion and she shouldn't give up. “Then may I ask your last portrait be of me?”

“Alright,” she agreed, while she put the necessary things in a small purse. She should be working on an essay about the Baroque, but how could she when Laurie was here?

“Now that you’ve given up all your foolish artistic hopes, what are you going to do with your life?” he asked another question.

“Polish up my other talents and be an ornament to society,” she said in a way that he could not tell if she was joking or not. He decided that it didn't matter so much, because she was already the ornament of society. And she could be so much more. He just had to make her see that. "Maybe teaching or working in a museum. There's so much to do. I don't plan to end up with the art as such, just with my own work," she added with a small smile. "And now, I was promised a walk, if I'm not mistaken," she changed the subject.

“That's right,” he smiled. He could see she was sad about her own decision and he promised himself he would make her change her mind. Because he just found out that when she was sad, he was sad too.

* * *

Amy thought Laurie would stay a few days, a week or two at the most, but it had been a month since he had come to visit her and he was still here with her. And she certainly didn't complain, even though she had a few objections. Laurie was different. Maybe he's grown up. He was more sensible. She liked that. What she didn't like too much was how much attention he paid to her. The irony, right? She always longed for his attention, but now that she had it, it tangled her head. It was so hard to suppress all the feelings she had for him. She had to remind herself every day that he was probably just homesick. There was nothing more behind it. Eventually, he would still have to return to London, even though he worked from here too. But in the end, he will be needed physically in the company. And when that time comes, Amy will be relieved that she won't have to pay so much attention to her feelings anymore, but at the same time, she will be sad because she will be terribly lonely. They spent every day together. When she was at school or work, Laurie handled work matters. And when she was free, they went on various trips.

They were in the park right now, Laurie lying lazily on the blanket as Amy sketched him. In moments like this, she wished she could stop time. She could spend the rest of her life that way, and she wouldn't mind at all.

“Laurie, when are you going back to your work?” she asked because she couldn’t stop the time and she had to face to reality.

“Very soon,” he answered simply as always whenever she would ask.

“You've said that a dozen times in the past month,” she objected. It wasn't that she wanted him to leave. She just wanted to be ready for that day. She wouldn't want him to disappear overnight.

“Short answers save trouble,” he said and looked at her. He knew she was right, but he didn’t want to go back to grey London. He liked it here more. He liked he could be with her. “Let me plague you a little longer. You can bear it.”

Amy laughed, while she made the last moves on the sketch. She felt his gaze on her, but she didn't want to look at him. Which was in vain, because in the end, she glanced at him anyway. “What are you doing?”

“I am looking at you,” he smiled. He was a terrible coquette, but Amy's cheeks turned slightly red anyway.

“Here,” she muttered and handed him a sketch.

Laurie examines the picture carefully. Once again, he is amazed at her talent. So far, he hadn't been able to change her mind, which made him a little sad. He was about to tell her that she had done a great job, but he noticed another piece of paper looking at him from behind the sketch. He pulled out a slightly yellowed paper and was surprised to see another sketch of himself, but in a younger version.

“When did you do this one?” He was curious. It warmed his heart when he realized it wasn't the first time she'd drawn him.

“It was the day at the beach when I met Fred for the first time,” she said, stopping immediately. She didn't know why she told him that. Maybe it was some of her internal defense mechanism. Fred was his friend, but he was also her friend. But the others seemed to think something was going on between them, or something more could happen eventually.

The mention of Fred stabbed him in the heart. He handed her the sketch back and stood up. "Oh sure, Fred, I've seen him a few times in London," he muttered, stepping forward to calm his thoughts.

"I haven't spoken to him in a long time, but I expect him to visit me soon," she smiled. She didn't understand why the atmosphere had changed so much when she said Fred's name. She stood up too. She didn’t feel comfortable sitting on the blanket while he was standing.

Laurie was getting very intense all of the sudden, words rushed out: “Don’t go out with him.”

“What?” she whispered not catching the meaning of his words.

“Don’t go on date with him,” he said more specifically. He knew it wasn't right, but now there was no going back.

“Why?” she asked instead of correcting him. At the moment, it didn't matter that Fred and she didn't go on a date because they were just friends. No, it just mattered why Laurie didn't want her to go on a date with Fred.

“Why?” he repeated after her, erasing the distance between them in a few steps. “You know why…”

Amy froze. All this month, she had been thinking that she was just imagining it. That she was seeing things which were not really there. “No…”

“Yes-”

“No! Stop it, you are being mean,” she told him heavily.

“What? Why am I being mean?” he whispered brokenly. He didn’t understand.

“I have been second to Jo my whole life in everything and I will not be the person you settle for just because you cannot have her. I won’t do it, not when- not when I’ve spent my entire life loving you,” she spat at him with tears in her eyes.

Her tears broke Laurie's heart. And before the meaning of her words came to him (which also broke his heart), Amy was long gone. He screwed up. She cried because of him and it broke his heart. Made her cry was the last thing he wanted.

* * *

Laurie was standing in front of the door of Aunt March's apartment. It had been a few days since the unfortunate incident in the park, and he had been gathering the courage to talk to Amy. He had to return to London but refused to leave before he could fix it between them. When he realized that she had loved him all her life, he couldn't be happier. He remembered Concord and Amy, and he couldn't believe he was so blind. He turned his attention to the wrong sister, and now he might lose his chance to live with the woman he loved because of that.

The door opened and he glanced at Amy.

“I can hear you thinking from here,” she said and let him in. She knew they would have to talk. Eventually. And she didn't want to lose their friendship.

“I am going back to London,” he blurted out. He was so nervous! What was wrong with him? He messed it up again already.

“Oh,” was all that Amy said. She managed to force him to leave after all…

Laurie paused to sort out his thoughts. “But I can't fly to London and leave us broken. I did that with Jo and I am not going to make the same mistake again. I understand your fears but I am begging you, give me a chance. I've known for a while that I didn't love Jo. Not in the way I love you," he told her desperately. “The world was on fire and no one could save me but you. It's strange what desire will make foolish people do. I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you.”

“Is that Chris Isaak?” she asked suspiciously. She didn't know what to do with his confession, so she decided to ignore it for a second.

“What can I say, Raphaella? You know I love music,” he reminded her, though he was sure it wasn't necessary. He knew what she was doing.

“Then I should probably say - what a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way,” she sighed. She already told him she loved him so she couldn't deny it. But he loved her sister for so long that she wasn't sure if she could trust him with his feelings. "Laurie, I don't think it could work. Us. I would constantly question your feelings. And you don't deserve that. Me neither," she explained.

“Let me prove to you that I really mean it. I have to go back to London, but I could come to see you again in two weeks. Your semester is coming to an end and I would fly home with you because I know how much you hate flying. I also miss home and my grandfather told me that Beth is doing better-"

“She is,” she interrupted him with a smile. She thought for a moment that she would interrupt her studies and return home, but Beth told her she didn't want her to. Amy was relieved when Jo told her that Beth was getting better.

"I will be working in Boston in the summer. And all the time, I'm going to show you how much you mean to me. I just need you to let me. And of course, you will have doubts because Jo is my best friend and she will not disappear from my life, but I will do everything to make these doubts disappear over time. I love you, Amy March, I truly do.”

Amy didn't know what to do. This was the moment she had always dreamed of. How could she tell him no? She was afraid that it would go wrong between them and she would lose him. And she didn't want that. Was it worth risking it? And what would their families say? What would Jo say?

“I love you too, Theodore Laurence. I've always loved you. If I say yes to this, you will have to be patient with me and promise me that we will not rush into it.”

Laurie was smiling. “Anything you want, Amy.”

"Could we keep it to ourselves for now? Until we're both sure it will work. I don't want us to hurt others if we do break up," she whispered in a shaky voice. It was too emotional for her.

Laurie nodded and walked closer to her. “Sure,” he agreed. "I will respect all your wishes, but do you think I could kiss you now?”

"If you insist," she smirked.

So he leaned in and kissed her. And wow. It was like coming home. For both of them. It was an innocent kiss, but Amy suddenly didn't know what she doubted. This was Laurie. He loved her and she loved him. She was living her best dream.


	2. Concord, part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments! ❤️
> 
> I just want to say we don't hate Jo March in this house. I just love drama, okay? Also, there will be probably 4 parts now, because Concord deserves two parts.

Amy was looking out of the car’s window at the passing landscape as she tried to calm herself a little. She was looking forward to going home, but at the same time, she wasn't looking forward to it at all. It had been two months since  s he and Laurie had gotten together, and everything was simply amazing. But Amy knew it would change when  t he y got home. In Paris, it was just the two of them, and she had questioned his feelings for her  only in her weak moments . She had no idea how she would react when she saw Laurie and Jo together, but she knew her doubts would come.  And she hated it. 

"Everything okay?” Laurie asked softly. Although Amy did not say anything, he sensed that she was nervous. At first, he thought it was because of the eight-hour flight that awaited them, but now they were in Boston and on their way to Concord, and her nervousness was getting worse rather than better.

“Yeah,” she said weakly and smiled a little, even though he couldn't see that because he had to keep his eyes on the road.

"I hate having to drive because I can't pay attention to you," he sighed in frustration. But that's how they agreed on how they would leave the airport. They wanted to spend the last moment alone together.

“Really, Laurie, it’s fine. And I like when you are driving,” she said this time with a sincere smile and reached out to him to ruffle his curls.

“Come on. Tell me what is going on, Raphaella,” he insisted. He had to admit that the two months they had been together, were one of the most amazing times of his life. He thought he was doing a great job of proving his feelings for her, and he certainly didn't mean to stop now. 

Amy sighed. She was a little ashamed. Laurie gave her no reason to question their relationship, and still, she did. And only because they were coming home. That was exactly what she was talking about, he didn't deserve it. “I am not sure. Like I am so happy I am going to see my family, but at the same time, I am so scared, because I really love you, and when I am thinking about us as a boyfriend and girlfriend, we are in Europe. When I am thinking about us in Concord, it’s you chasing Jo and me quietly looking at it,” she told  him all her thoughts. She found that she always told him everything, even if she didn't want to. It was almost as if he had cast a spell on her. But even though she didn't want to tell him  something once in a while, she was glad that he affected her in this way.  Because she knew communication was important. She always tried to control her behavior and hide her emotions, that she sometimes forgot what it was like to share them with others.

“Hey, it’s completely fine, Amy. I know it’s going to be hard, but we're gonna make it. Together,” he tried to reassure her. He was a little worried about how he would calm her down because they wouldn't be able to spend too much time alone together so that no one would suspect them. 

"Aren't you mad at me for wanting our relationship to be a secret for now?"

"No, I told you I would do whatever you wanted.  Plus, I'm not ready to share us. I quite like that it's just the two of us," he said with a smile, concluding that it was the right thing to say, for he could already feel Amy relaxing a little in the passenger seat.

“I like that too. And it's good for you because when Dad finds out about us, he won't be happy," she said with a small grin on her face.

Laurie frowned a little. “What are you talking about? Your father loves me,” he objected.

“Well, yes. Everyone loves you. I can't protest against that. However, you know what my family is like. Believe me, when they find out, their first reaction will be that you're too old for me," she explained. That was just another thing that worried her. 

“Old? I am twenty-six. I am definitely not old,” he said almost indignantly.

Amy had to laugh. He was so cute! “Of course you are not old, but I am twenty so don’t tell me you believe that they are not going to object that age difference.”

He was silent for a moment and Amy knew he was really thinking about it. She saw his face twist. “Shit, I am a dead man.”

“Stop the car,” she instructed him with a laugh. When she called Marmee to tell her that they had landed safely in Boston, her mother told her they were all at Meg's. So Laurie will drop her off there.

“What? Why? I'll take you to the driveway,” he said confused.

“But I want to kiss you and on the driveway could someone see us,” she told him her plan and he almost immediately stopped the car. 

"Your wish is my command," he said with a smile and finally looked at her, as he no longer had to focus on driving. He was so lucky to have her. He couldn't wait any longer, so he connected their lips. Even after two months of being honored to kissing Amy March, he couldn't get used to all the positive emotions he felt. Happiness. Love. Enthusiasm. Joy. It was almost too much for him, but he loved it. He loved _her_. 

After a few minutes of kissing, they returned to the road, Amy so much calmer. "So you're going to stop by Aunt March and leave my suitcase there?" she reminded him.

“That’s the plan, Raphaella,” he nodded and drove into the driveway at Brooke's house.

“I guess I will see you around,” she sighed. She will miss him. It will be even worse than when he is in London and she is in Paris, because they will both be in the same place here, but they will not be able to show any affection.

“Stay in touch,” he told her and smiled at her. 

“Don’t worry about that, I will probably message you in the second I walk in,” she grinned and then finally stepped out from the car.

* * *

Laurie left Amy's suitcase with Aunt March and drove home. He and his grandfather had a late lunch while talking about corporate things, but also about personal things. After all, they hadn't seen each other for a long time, and even though Laurie tried to stay in touch, he still felt an invisible barrier between them. But it was definitely getting better and he was glad for it. After all, he was all that had left of his family. After they ate, his grandfather went to take a nap and he checked the messages from Amy. She sent him some photos of Daisy and Demi and he had to smile. It was too early to think of such a thing, but even so, his thoughts wandered to the point that instead of her niece and nephew, she was with their children. But they still had plenty of time for that. Although her earlier remark about their age difference worried him a little. He suppressed these fears and wrote back to her, after which he went to March's house. She said they were all there except Jo, which was his opportunity to visit her. He had to talk to her and clarify their relationship for once and all. He missed his best friend. 

He found her in the attic sleeping on the couch. He gently shook her awake. “Jo? Wake up!”

She slowly opened her eyes, which reflected her surprise when she saw him. “Oh, Teddy! My Teddy!” she blurted out joyfully and hugged him. 

“Dear Jo, are you glad to see me then?” he asked uncertainly. He wasn't in much contact with her. At first, it was from harm, but then he didn't know if she still cared about their friendship after how he had behaved.

“Glad, my blessed boy, is too small! Words can't express it,” she smiled. 

“Oh thank heaven, I was worried, well, anyway, I wanted a moment with you alone,” he explained. He needed to tell her that he is over it. That he is _over her_. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable in his company, because she would think he still in love with her. 

“Yes, of course. Here, come sit.” She pointed to a spot next to her. 

Laurie hesitated for a moment before sitting down. He felt as if nothing had changed over the years. And that was good for their friendship, but Laurie had changed. He has grown up. And he knew Jo was a little bit afraid of growing up.

“How’s Amy?” she spoke when he didn’t tell anything. “Did she bother you all the way from Europe with her preening?”

“Yes, but I love it,” he said trying not to smile too much. 

“Where is she now? Did she not come straight home?”

“Your mother’s got her down at Meg’s, we stopped there by the way. And she is staying with Aunt March. She probably wants some privacy, which is hard to find in your house,” he explained with a laugh. “Jo, I want to say one thing, and then we'll put it away forever. I have always loved you, but you were right - we would have killed each other. I know that now. Can we - can we still be friends?”

Jo said nothing for a while and he was getting scared he damaged their friendship forever. But when she finally spoke, he froze.

"And I was about to say the opposite," she muttered softly. "Ask me again, Teddy, and I promise this time my answer will be yes."

Laurie was panicking big time. What the hell? This was so messed up. This couldn't be even true. Yeah, it was just a stupid dream. This wasn’t happening. This  _couldn't_ be happening. 

“That’s not funny, Jo,” he said with a serious face.

“Because I am not joking, Teddy,” she assured him.

“No. You are lying to yourself and you know it. Jo, you are not in love with me and I am not in love with you. You just don't want to grow up. We've talked about it so many times, but the world of adults isn't as terrible as it seems,” he said and stood up. This is was really bad. He needed her to see the truth. Because if he didn't make her realize it, Amy might notice something or Jo could even talk to her about it, and that would be bad. That would be so bad. 

Jo stood up too. “How can you know that? You were so persistent about loving me, so how do you know you don't love me anymore?"

“Because I never loved you in the first place,” he sighed. “Well, I did and I still do, but not in the way a man should love the woman he wants to marry. You are my sister, Jo. I will always be here for you, but you were right about us years before.”

“You maybe know, but I don’t,” she whispered. “Can we kiss so I am sure too?” she asked him and he was sick. Not because of Jo. He got it. It was a reliable way to find out if you have feelings for someone. And she thought he was single. 

“I don’t think that is possible. I have a girlfriend,” he told her heavily. He was thinking about Amy. About his angel. He couldn't do what was Jo asking him. 

“Are you- in love?” To say she was in shock would be underestimated. It was so much worse. But she shouldn't be so surprised. It was Laurie. Everyone loved him.

“Yes,” he answered and this time he didn’t hide his smile. How could he when he was thinking about his Raphaella?

And he thought of her so hard that he didn't notice Jo approaching him. And then suddenly he felt her lips on his. He froze. He couldn't move how much in shock he was. 

“What the hell, Jo?” he said angrily when he stepped away from her. “I just told you I have a girlfriend!”

Jo looked guilty. “Oh, forgive me, Teddy! I had to try. Now I know you are right and she will never know. I promise,” she told him a little desperately. 

“Well, I hope so. She already thinks she's just a substitute for you. She is not. I love her, Jo. I think it was meant this way. The kiss has to stay just between us, you get it?”

“I get it. I am sorry, Teddy. Friends?”

“Always,” he answered even though he was still a little upset. She had no right to kiss him.

* * *

She should have known. In fact, deep inside her, she knew. She could not be loved and threw her respect away. And because of what? Because of two months with Laurie. And now she was hurt more than ever. She wanted to greet Jo before she went to see her aunt. And now she wished she didn’t. She'll probably never erase a picture of Laurie kissing with Jo from her head. It hurt so much. She'll have to be damn strong because she can't run back to Paris when she literally arrived today. 

"Aunt March, I'm home!" she exclaimed with a feigned smile as she entered. She didn't get an answer, but she didn't expect it. It wasn't appropriate for a lady like Aunt March to yell across the house. So Amy walked straight to the lounge room, where her aunt spent the most time. When Beth fell ill and she went to live with her to make room at home and relieve her parents of their worries, she was not very happy. Aunt March was weird. Cold most of her life. But over time, Amy started liking her and found that she wasn't as cold as she seemed at first glance. She found out she cared about them.

“Oh, dear, finally,” she greeted her as she entered the lounge room. 

Amy sat down in a chair with a smile on her face, but she didn't feel too strong. She only wanted to focus on her aunt, but her thoughts went in a different direction. She tried desperately to suppress them. 

"How was the flight?" her aunt asked, pouring her a cup of tea. 

"It was alright,” Amy answered, but didn’t take the cup from the table. She knew her hands were shaking too much for that.

"Your mother said Laurence's boy was coming back with you," she said seemingly harmlessly, but it was too much for Amy at that moment. 

“I am so sorry,” she cried. She knew she had disappointed her aunt because the older woman didn't approve of crying in front of anyone.

“My sweet child, are you crying because of that boy?” she sighed. "I thought studying in Europe would help you forget about him, but I should have known it didn't happen when you told me he was in London," she told her and Amy gave her a surprised look. “Yeah, I know that you love him. It wasn’t that hard to tell when you started living here. You know he's not worth it, right?"

"I do not know, Aunt March," she sniffed. "I've been hiding how I feel about him for so long. And then luck smiled on me. At least that's what I thought. Did he hurt me? Yes. But Laurie is not a bad person, Aunt March. It's just that we're probably not meant to be,” she whispered and smiled sadly. 

“If you still love him after such a long time, don't give up. Maybe you're still looking for the right time to shine together," she said wisely. 

"I'm not so sure about that, but thank you. I think I'll go to bed, I'm tired after that long travel, and Demi and Daisy demanded all my attention when I was at Meg's," she told her with a small smile and walked to her room. She didn't even change and went straight to bed. She was really tired. And one small part of her hoped this was just a nightmare. Maybe she fell asleep on a plane and this is just a bad dream.

She didn't wake up until the next morning. She reached for her phone to see what time it was and smiled when she noticed she had some new messages from Laurie. But the smile faded very quickly when she remembered what had happened yesterday. Even so, she read his messages. Some were from yesterday, some from today. Amy was sure it wouldn't be hard to avoid Laurie. During the day he will be in Boston at work and then either at home or with everyone together. There wasn't much chance she'd have to be alone with him. But she didn't think about  messages and phone calls. These will be harder to ignore. But maybe he was just trying to make it look like everything was fine before he officially broke up with her. After all, he didn't know she saw them yesterday. 

She sighed and she went to shower and change into clean clothes before joining Aunt March for breakfast. She wasn't surprised to find her aunt in the dining room reading a newspaper. She always read them after she ate, and it was quite late, so she wasn't surprised that she didn't count on her for breakfast. However, the food was still on the table. To tell you the truth, she quite missed this breakfast in Paris. 

“Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?” she greeted her but did not put the newspaper down.

“Kinda,” she yawned shortly and she immediately reached out for coffee. 

“I am glad to hear that. I know you want to probably be with your family but I would like to have dinner with you. You will be able to tell me all about your European adventures.”

"With pleasure,” she reassured her with a smile and bit into the toast. She wasn't very hungry, but she knew she had to eat something.

“Beth is here, by the way. She is in a room with a piano. She didn't want to join me for breakfast. She's scared of me."

"And who isn't?" Amy laughed, her sister's presence lifting her spirits.

"You're not," she pointed to the fact, glancing at her from behind the newspaper.

"But I used to be too," she said and stood up with a full mug of coffee in one hand and toast in another hand. “See you around,” she told her before she kissed her on the cheek and left her in the digging room alone. 

On the way to Beth's, she ate breakfast and drank almost all her coffee. This was good. She could only focus on Beth and not have to think about Laurie.

"You could have woken me," she said softly as she entered the room where Beth was playing the piano.

"I didn't want to, you looked tired yesterday. I just wanted to have you for myself for a little bit," Beth replied in the same voice, giving her a small smile.

“Oh, Beth, I missed you so much,” she almost cried and she imprisoned her sister in an embrace, almost pouring the rest of her coffee on her, forgetting that she was holding a mug in her hand.

“I missed you too, Amy,” she muttered into her arms.

“Play something for me, please,” she asked as she stopped hugging her. 

“You know the rules. If you want me to play something for you, you have to tell me what," she reminded her with a smile.

Amy thought about that for a moment. She could choose any song. She didn't care much about what Beth was going to play. She just wanted her to play and she would listen to her, like in the old days. Back then she would probably be drawing something but she ended with that. She pulled a cell phone out of her pocket and found notes on a particular song on the Internet. She needed to get at least some of those emotions out of her so that she could bury the rest deep inside her again. And she remembered her conversation with Laurie when she told him that this was exactly what would happen while he begged her to give him a chance.

“Could you play this?” she whispered heavily and handed her the phone. 

“Of course,” she nodded and looked and the notes closely. Beth began to play, and Amy listened quietly to her for a moment.

“ _What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way. What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you. What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way. What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you. And I don't wanna fall in love. No, I don't wanna fall in love with you-”_ she started singing but was interrupted by a newcomer.

"Amy March, a woman of many talents," Laurie said cheerfully.

Beth immediately stopped playing and it almost looked like she would get up and run to hug Laurie, but it didn't happen. It was still the same shy Beth. “Laurie! Welcome home!” she said instead. 

“Thank you, Beth. It is good to see you,” he smiled at her. 

Amy didn’t say anything. She thought Laurie would be at work. He caught her completely unprepared.

“I will see you guys at lunch,” Beth told them when she sensed that they would probably need a moment alone. Amy was so out that she didn't even have time to stop her, so she happened to be alone with Laurie. She found herself in a situation that she was sure an hour ago could not happen.

Laurie said nothing. He didn't think something was wrong when she didn't answer his messages. He knew she must be as tired as he was. But then he heard her sing the song and  he froze. And now they were standing here and the atmosphere in the room was not very pleasant.  He was confused. 

“I thought you'd be in Boston," she spoke first, but she didn't look at him.

"Yeah, me too, but Grandfather said I shouldn't start until next week," he explained uncertainly.

"I saw it, Laurie, so we don't have to talk about it. We don't have to do anything. I won't make a dramatic scene, I won't stand in your way," she told him in a fairly firm voice. She always said things directly and why prolong this unnecessarily when it only hurt her in the final?

“Amy, what- I donť know what do you mean so we definitely need to talk about it. What do you mean you won’t stand in my way? And why it sounds like you are breaking up with me… Amy, I-” he was mumbling, confused. He thought he was panicking yesterday when Jo asked him if she could kiss him, but it was nothing compared to the panic he was feeling right now. _I saw it, Laurie, so we don't have to talk about it._ She saw it. She saw him kissing Jo. Respectively she saw Jo kissing him.

“No, no, no. Amy, I need you to listen to me, okay? Jo suddenly told me yesterday that she felt something for me, but I told her it wasn't true and that I had a girlfriend, but you know her, she's so stubborn. She kissed me, but I didn't want to. She needed to make sure she didn't really feel anything for me, and she did it, even though I told her I had a girlfriend. It didn't mean anything, Amy. My lovely Raphaella, I love you. Only you,” he explained in a desperate voice.

"I think you should leave," she whispered in a hoarse voice. She could only be strong for a few seconds. And she didn't want him to see how broken she was.

“No, I can’t do that. You are not even listening-”

“Yes, I am!” she interrupted him with a yelling. “I am listening to you, but I don't want to see you right now. Maybe you are telling the truth, but I know what I saw and I am not sure if I can trust you. It hurts, believe me, I know. I need to be alone and cope with it. It was a mistake. I need to deal with my own feelings, otherwise, it will never work between us. I already told you that neither one of us deserve a relationship where I will constantly question your feelings. Please, just leave,” she said and she still managed not to cry. 

“Amy-”

“You should go, Theodore.” That was Aunt March and he knew there was no place for him at the moment. He gave Amy one last look, then left. Whatever she wanted. He promised her that and he has to stick to it.

He couldn't believe they had only been home for two days, and he had already ruined it. But he had hope, and he had to hold to it. He will get his Raphaella back. Whatever it takes.


	3. Concord, part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think I am in love with my version of Aunt March 🙈. Also, this story took a completely different direction than I wanted, but I still love it. And we know that plans always change as we write. 🤍
> 
> Let me know what you think!

Amy arrived that day for lunch hosted by Marmee and her father. She had to show up. She couldn't ignore her family just because she broke up with Laurie. She devoted most of her time to her nephew and niece. She noticed that Laurie was sad, but he tried not to show it too much. She had an advantage in this. She hid her true feelings most of her life, so it wasn't such a problem for her. Plus, she couldn't be sad with Demi and Daisy around. They were full of joy and happiness.

Now she had dinner with Aunt March. She wasn't in the mood to talk about Paris, because it brought her too many memories with Laurie, but she knew she owed it to her. It was the least she could do for her.

"What about school? Do you have everything you need?" Aunt March asked with interest. Amy knew she didn't like her choice of the field at first, but when she didn't make her change her mind, she tried to support her in art as best she could. She wanted at least one of her nieces to do something practical, but the March sisters seemed only to be interested in the art industry.

"Honestly, school is great, however..." Amy began uncertainly. She knew she had to tell her about her decision to stop painting. "I'm not going to make a living by painting," she blurted out before she would lose her courage.

"How's that?" Aunt March asked in surprise.

"I'm not special at it," Amy said simply. “And I want to be great or nothing.”

The older woman was silent for a moment, giving her an inquisitive look before taking a sip of red wine. "Are you going to change schools?" she sighed a little.

“No! The school is really great. I still want to do something with art, I just won't make a living from my own work. And that's okay. And I can't ask you to pay for another school. You already do a lot for me. And I know that for others too.”

“Well, you are my nieces. I know I don't make it very clear, but I care about you. You know that, don't you? Maybe you're the only one of your sisters who knows. That's because I like you best. We are very similar,” she told her with a small smile. “And now tell me what happened with that Laurence's boy, please.”

Amy closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. She was surprised that she asked about Laurie, she didn't usually ask for gossip. And even though Amy decided she should start expressing her emotions more, she still didn't want to show the negative ones. She didn't want to look weak. It was enough that she cried in front of her aunt yesterday. She will be strong today. It was her decision. She has to stand up for it.

"We were kind of together. And it was beautiful, Aunt March, I swear it was! But then we came back here and it went wrong. And I think Laurie was telling me the truth this morning. Maybe he wasn't my best friend like he was with Jo, but I still know him well. Maybe I know him even better than Jo because I was in love with him from the very first moment I saw him and I silently watched him all those years- wow, that’s sound creepy,” she grinned. “Anyway, I really know him. So yeah, I think he was telling the truth, but I realized something else. Before we got together, I told him I didn't think it would work between us. Because I would constantly question his feelings. Surely you remember how he always ran for Jo… But in the end, I gave us a chance. How could I not? It's Laurie. And here we are. What happened opened my eyes. Our relationship won't work until I learn to accept the fact that I'm as good as Jo. When I stop comparing myself to her. When I learn to respect myself. Then and only then it will be able to work between us,” she explained her feelings with a slightly cracked voice.

"When did you get so wise?" she asked a rather rhetorical question with a smaller grin on her face.

"I've always been wise," Amy snorted, though it was inappropriate. But she had just shared all her feelings, so she didn't care.

“Dear, I've been waiting for this moment since you came to live with me. I know I'm sometimes too cold, but as I said, I care about you all. You kept talking about Jo. All the time. I tried to change your mind, but it was in vain. When I decided to give you the opportunity to study art in Europe, I thought it would finally change, but again, you just talked about how you would be as successful as Jo in New York. Maybe there is something special about your Theodore after all when you finally decide to go your own way and stop following your older sister's shadow. And if he really loves you, he'll wait for you," she told her with a warm smile on her face that Amy had never seen on her face before.

“Thank you, aunt March. For everything,” she thanked her sincerely and returned her smile. This conversation surprisingly helped her, and even though she had a long way to go, she felt she could do it. And if Laurie would waiting for her at the end of her journey, she was convinced that they would be together forever.

"Do not mention it. And no emotional conversations until the end of the holidays, do you understand?"

Amy laughed and nodded, then finally returned to eating.

* * *

Laurie fell into a routine. That was good. Routine was good for him. It kept him from doing something stupid. He went to Boston every day to work, which was nice. He surprisingly enjoyed working in the family business. And her grandfather was proud of him. Amy was too. Although she wasn’t talking to him right now. She told him that back in Paris, she told him she was proud of him. And he wanted her to continue to be proud of him even when he let her down in something else. He dined with his grandfather every evening and told him all about how he was doing in London. He didn't forget to add a story with Amy every night. He had a feeling that his grandfather was beginning to suspect that he had feelings for the blonde, but he said nothing. After dinner, he closed himself in his room and wrote to Amy about his day. He wrote to her that he was sorry for what had happened. He wrote to her that he hoped she had a great day. He wrote that he would give her as much time as she needed. She never wrote back. And he didn't push her. He knew she would be in touch when she was ready.

That day came in mid-July. It had been almost a month since he had seen Amy. It had been almost a month since he had been in contact with her. It was Saturday and he was invited to lunch at the March’s. And he could not refuse, because, for two weekends in a row, he said he was unable to attend because of work.

"Laurie, it's really okay, go have fun with the others," Marmee urged him several times as he helped her clean the kitchen. Maybe he was hiding a little from Amy because it was killing him to finally see her again. It was killing him that he was in the same room as her, and he couldn't even kiss her. But he also wanted to help Marmee as his thanks for a good lunch.

"It's rich, coming from you. Go play with your grandchildren, Marmee, I'll take it from here," Amy said suddenly before Laurie could assure her he didn't mind.

"If you insist," she laughed, leaving them alone in the kitchen

"Well, that didn't take too much persuasion," Amy snorted, walking to the sink, where the unwashed dishes were waiting for her.

Laurie said nothing. To told the truth, he was so nervous that after a month of being separated, he was near her that he probably lost the ability to speak. What should he say at all? Should he apologize again? He probably should, shouldn't he?

"If you were interested, my days weren't so bad,” she whispered to him when she started washing the dishes. “I missed you and your messages helped me a lot. But I wasn't ready to answer them yet," she told him louder.

“Are you now?” he asked in a hoarse voice. He was so excited and nervous at the same time.

“I think so,” she answered with a small smile. "If you still want to," she added a little uneasily.

“If I still want to? Are you kidding? Of course, I still want to talk to you. I love you, Amy, that hasn't changed. You are in command. Yes, it kills me that you don't talk to me, that we don't see each other, but if there's a chance we can still be together, I'll take it,” he told her a little urgently and enthusiastically at the same time. He couldn't help himself. This was progress.

“Are you sure? Because it may take a long time for me to be ready for our relationship," she muttered heavily. She was doing better, but she still needed so much more time.

Laurie rolled his eyes. “Yes, I am. I didn't write to you one thing yesterday. Every day on the way home from work, I pass a paint shop and yesterday I stopped there to buy you paints and canvas. The saleswoman said they should be of the highest quality and I had to buy them for my Raphaella,” he told her with a bright smile on his face and Amy was starting to feel overwhelmed.

“Laurie, you shouldn't. You know I am not painting anymore,” she said softly.

“Yeah, I know, but you promised me to paint my portrait so…”

Amy frowned a little. “What are you talking about? I already gave you your portrait.”

“Don’t make me laugh, Raphaella. That was a sketch. I want a real painting,” he told her confidently.

Amy said nothing for a moment and just washed the dishes quietly. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that. But she had to try somehow, didn't she? Laurie may say he'll wait for her, but how long before he gets bored? And she didn’t want to lose him.

“Well, we should start soon, if we want to make it before I return to Paris,” she finally said.

"You can always finish it in Paris. I'll visit you…" _Even if we were just friends_ , he added in his head. “But I agree, we should start soon.”

* * *

"So what do you think?" Amy asked a little nervously as she made the final adjustments to the painting. Honestly, she was quite satisfied with her work. She even began to think about reconsidering her decision. Maybe she could be great with the right muse.

"I think you did an excellent job," Mr. Laurence praised her. Laurie was still at work and she decided to finish his portrait.

"You're too kind, Mr. Laurence," she said, her face red. His praise meant a lot to her.

“I am just telling the truth. In fact, I think I'll hang this painting in the hall," he told her. "It really is a great job, Amy. If you'll excuse me now, I'll take a nap. Feel free to stay here and wait for Theodore, he should be back any minute."

"Thank you, Mr. Laurence. I'll clean up, it'll take me a while," she replied with a smile. Laurie turned one of the many empty rooms they had into a studio so she could work on his portrait. And she loved it. For a moment, it really made her believe she could continue with her work.

Laurie's grandfather left her alone, and she started cleaning. She was nervous about what would Laurie say, and at least cleaning would keep her busy. August was slowly coming to an end, and she was returning to Paris in two weeks. And Laurie, being great as he is, said he would fly with her. Although he had to go to London, he could fly later than she did, but he would still fly with her because he knew how much she was afraid of flying. And she was beginning to feel she should do something. She was really well now. Maybe she was ready to be with Laurie again. But one part of her feared that it was because they were returning to Europe, where the two of them would be alone again.

"Why are you cleaning?" Laurie exclaimed in surprise as he entered the studio.

Amy was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't even hear him come in, and she was a little startled when he spoke. “Well, I am done,” she explained with a smile.

“Really? Then show me, my dear Raphaella,” he begged and stepped closer to the painting.

"Okay, just please be honest. Your grandfather said he'd hang it in the hall," she laughed. She obviously didn't take him seriously.

Laurie looked at his likeness and couldn't take his eyes off the painting. It was so real. A wave of pride and love swept through his body. Feelings so strong, which only his Raphaella could evoke in him. “Please, do not stop with painting. You have talent, I think you are genius too,” he blurted at her.

Amy smiled at him. “I am starting to think that too,” she said honestly. “Thanks to you.”

"You give me more credit than I deserve, this is all you."

“Well maybe you are right,” she said softly.

Laurie was smiling so much that his face was starting to hurt. It was amazing for him to hear Amy finally talking about herself with confidence. She had come a long way and he was proud of her. They were still just friends or something, honestly, he didn’t exactly know, but he didn't mind waiting. Not when it was her who he was waiting for.

“I really love you,” she whispered out of nowhere. She couldn't just stand here while he was watching her like that. She could see so much love in his eyes. Her heart couldn't make it. She needed to show him, that she loved him too. So much.

“I really love you too,” he told still with a smile on his face although he was a little confused.

“I love you, and I want us to be together. I will never question your feelings again. I can finally give you the relationship you deserve. What we both deserve. And I am sorry it took me so long, but we wouldn't be happy if we stayed together back then. We would heart each other-”

He couldn't take it any longer. He kissed her, interrupting her gibberish. She talked about it too much unnecessarily. He didn't care. He knew she was right, and he was glad she was ready to return to him. He kissed her tenderly, but at the same time, he put into it all the love he felt for her.

“What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way,” he whispered when he stopped kissing her. He was out of breath. For Amy, he would have gone to the end of the world, and honestly, he still didn't understand how she could arouse such strong emotions in him. It could not even be described in words.

“I could tell you the same thing,” she exhaled with a happy smile. She loved him for so long. She never thought her love for him would last that long, but that feeling was so strong, it never died. And she was glad for that because she knew it was worth waiting for Laurie all those years.

“Then say it,” he begged her slightly desperately.

Amy stood on tiptoe and kissed him again. It would probably be her favorite activity for a while when she couldn't kiss him all the time they were here. And yes, it was mostly her fault that they couldn't kiss because she ended things between them, but she stood behind it and knew it was going to work out.

“What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way,” she said in love as she played with his curls.

“I love you, Amy March,” he repeated in a hoarse voice and kissed her again. He couldn't imagine a single minute he wouldn't kiss her when he could do that now.


	4. London

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are done! Please, let me know what do you think ❤️. 
> 
> Some wrote that they would like to read other stories with our beloved couple. I would be more than happy to write another, but I have no ideas yet. Feel free to write me about what you would like to read and maybe I will write some of it!

Laurie was returning from the meeting and was terribly tired. He  was calling with  Amy late into the night and had a lot of work to do since  early morning. Lack of sleep began to affect him. He opened the door to his office and stood stunned as he smelled fresh coffee. Staring at the cup of coffee on his desk, he went inside and closed the door behind him. He didn't remember asking the secretary for coffee, but he must have looked like a walking  dead , so she decided he needed one. The answer, however, was completely different.

"Surprise!" a woman's voice  yelled  behind him, and he was immediately trapped in an embrace.

"Amy!" he exclaimed in surprise and turned to face her. "What are you doing here?" he asked, while the fatigue was completely gone.  He felt like he hadn't seen her forever.

"I finished all  my exams, so I decided to take a trip to London," she replied with a smile.

Laurie just watched her in disbelief for a moment, as if to make sure she was really here and not just an  illusion of his tired mind. When he decided  s he was really here, he leaned over and finally kissed her.  He missed her so much. He counted down the days until her graduation ceremony, which was in two weeks. It never occurred to him that she would make a surprise visit. 

"Did you fly alone? You know you didn't have to," he said with a huge smile as he pulled away from her.

“I wanted to. We haven't seen each other in so long that I've been willing to come to you all of my own," Amy explained, still unaccustomed to flying, even though she didn't do anything else with Laurie. If she didn't count the trips home and to London, they'd traveled all over Europe in the two years she'd been with Laurie. They would travel by train, but usually, they only went somewhere for the weekend, because Amy had to go to school. And it was faster by plane. 

"You're amazing, you know that?" he exhaled and stole a small kiss. "Is the coffee on the table for me?"

Amy laughed. “ Well, I am aware of that. And yes, that coffee is for you. It was clear to me that you would be tired, and because I am so wonderful, I brought you your favorite coffee."

"You're a lifesaver," he told her and went to sit down at a table to drink  his  coffee. This day was  very  terrible because he had one meeting after another, but the presence of his girlfriend lifted his spirits.  And of course, the coffee too. 

Amy sat down on the other side of the table, where his staff sat when they needed to talk to him, and watched him quietly for a moment. She was so happy that she finished school and that she and Laurie would finally live together. It took them a few months to decide, but in the end they decided on London.  They both liked  Europe  better  than America. Of course, they will still fly home often.

"How long do you have to work?" she asked after a moment of silence  when they were  just enjoying the presence of each other .

"I have one more meeting I have to go to," he sighed. "Do you want to go home?"

S he had to smile. Home. That sounded nice. It wasn't quite her home yet, but she would soon be moving in permanently and it would be their common home. "Will it take long? I'm thinking of waiting for you here, and then we could go to a restaurant for a meal somewhere," she suggested. Honestly, she herself was quite tired, but she didn't want to go home alone. 

"Hopefully not," he replied, smiling at her. “I missed you so much, Raphaella.”

“I missed you too,” she said and she leaned across the table to kiss him. 

"I'm starting to think I'm going to move the meeting to tomorrow," he whispered into her lips, and she pulled away from him.

"None of that. You neglect your work almost all the time because of me, so you go to the meeting and I'll wait for you here," she told him in her commanding tone.

"Amy! I already told you that when I come to Paris to see you and work from there, I don't neglect my job. I mean it. I would not allow myself to neglect my work because then I could not take you anywhere. I couldn't give you everything you want," he told her, finishing his coffee, which was slowly getting cold and that wasn't good.

"You know I'm not with you for your money, do you?" she reminded him with a little frown. That was a topic they were constantly addressing. Amy slowly got used to the fact that Laurie paid  for  everything. And even though she liked it, one  her part  was bothered  by it .  When she was younger, s he had dreamed of marrying a rich man so she could have a great life, but  with Laurie,  she  would have that life even if they didn't have that much money.  Because it was Laurie. 

"And you know I'm not neglecting my job because of you, do you?" he teased her.

She rolled her eyes. "This is hopeless," she snorted. "By the way, Jo will arrive next week and then continue with us to Paris for my graduation  ceremony. She said she talked to you about it."

Laurie nodded, but before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

"Mr. Laurence, the meeting begins in five minutes," the secretary told him, peering into his office.

"I'm on my way," he assured her, getting up. "We'll talk about that later. I'll see you  h opefully in half an hour?" he said to Amy.

"I'll be right here," she smiled. 

Laurie smiled too and bent down to steal the kiss. "If you want coffee or whatever, you know the way to the kitchen. Make yourself at home," he told her before he left.

"Coffee doesn't sound so bad," she muttered to herself, and she left his office  too. At first, she was insecure, but since she stopped at his job almost every time she was in London, it almost felt like she was working for the company herself. A Mr. Laurence was often talking about that one day it would be her company as well as Laurie's. But of course, she didn't take it seriously. And as she had told Laurie a moment ago, she had no intention of their possessions. She was just happy she was with the love of her life.

* * *

Laurie was leaning against the car, waiting for Jo to leave the airport terminal. Fortunately, the plane landed on time, so he didn't have to wait too long.

“Teddy!” Jo exclaimed excitedly as she walked out of the building with her small suitcase and saw her longtime friend.

"Jo!" repay Laurie with the same enthusiasm. They hugged, and then he took the suitcase from her, which he put in the car. "How was your flight?"

"It was okay,” she said, sitting down in the passenger seat. “ Where is Amy?”

“Amy was painting late into the night and even though she told me to wake her in the morning, I didn't have the heart to do it,” he explained with a laugh. He tried to persuade her to go to bed, but she refused. Apparently she got a muse and had to paint while she had it.

"Sounds like my sister," Jo agreed. "But it's pretty good for  me that she is not here, even though I was looking forward to seeing her."

L aurie frowned a little. “What do you mean?” he asked confused.

"I need to talk to you about something. Before I left for the airport, I talked to my father on the phone. Teddy! I can't believe you talked to my father before you talked to me," she cried in disbelief, but she had a smile on her face. “Were you even going to tell me?”

He had to concentrate on driving, which calmed him a little. "Of course I was going to tell you, but your father has the main say," he replied, slightly nervous. He was so nervous when he asked him about that. He was annoyed that he had to do it on phone, but he didn't have a chance to fly to Concord. Fortunately, Mr. March agreed, so now all that remained was for Amy to agree.

"I am so happy for you! I apologize once again for how I behaved back then. I would never forgive myself if you broke up because of me for good-”

“Jo, I told you to stop apologizing. The main thing is that it turned out well," Laurie interrupted her.

There was a moment of silence between them before Jo asked, "Do you know when you'll do it?"

"Honestly, I have no idea," Laurie sighed. "I'm a little afraid she'll say no. She's only twenty-two! What if she doesn't want to get married yet? At first, I didn't realize it, but then she pointed out the fact that there is a bigger age difference between us. And I'm so ready to marry her and start a family with her soon. But what if she doesn't see it that way? When I was her age, I didn't even think about these things!" he explained with panic.

“Okay, you need to calm down, Teddy. There's a six years difference between you, and that's not so terrible. You are both still young and have time. And yes, under other circumstances, Amy probably wouldn't want to get married yet, but I think she'll be more than happy with you if you ask her. She loved you all her life. It's very unlikely she would say no to you," Jo tried to reassure him. She was more than sure her sister would say yes. And she really couldn't wait for their wedding. She had to talk a lot with Amy, and it cost them a lot of effort, but in the end, their relationship improved. She was devastated when Amy told her how she had felt all her life. She had no idea. She was glad they had talked and improved. And she was really happy for her and Teddy. They fit together perfectly.

“Thank you, Jo,” he exhaled a little calmer. "Now tell me more about Friedrich."

“What? No? We are talking about you and Amy, you can’t just change the subject,” protested Jo, who didn't like where their conversation was going.

"I just did it," Laurie laughed.

“Well, that’s too bad because I am not talking about Friedrich.”

“You are no fun, Josephine,” he teased her.

* * *

Only Laurie and Jo were at Amy's graduation ceremony, but Jo filmed everything so that everyone could see it at home. Then Jo returned to New York and Amy began moving to London. At the end of June, she was completely living in London. She and Laurie agreed to take some small trips around England during July and fly to Concord to visit their family in August. In September, Amy would start looking for some work in one of the London galleries. 

They were in one right now. A  girl friend from Lauri e’ s friend recently opened it, and Amy immediately agreed to come to see  it when she told them  about it . She exhibited her photographs, and although Amy liked the paintings more, she had to admit that she was really  good. Genius, really. Amy studied one photo after another with interest until she came to an empty spot on the wall. At first, she thought she had reached the end of the exhibition, but then she noticed a small label that always bore the title of the photo. _A marriage_ _proposal_ was written on this one.

"I don't get it. Do you think it's already sold? Even so, it should still be here," she muttered incomprehensibly, turning to face Laurie. And she was shocked. Laurie was kneeling on one knee in front of her, holding a box with the ring. Amy turned back to the title of the photo.  _ Marriage proposal.  _

“Yes!” she yelled with tears in her eyes and turned back to Laurie.

"But I haven't said anything yet!" Laurie laughed, his nervousness subsiding. "I had a speech ready, but I have a feeling that it is no longer needed. I will show you how much I love and respect you for the rest of my life. Just let me at least ask you. Amy March,  w ill you do me the honor and become my wife?"

“Yes! Of course yes!” she cried with happiness. Laurie stood up and put the ring on her finger before pulling her into his arms and kissing her lovingly. They were both so immersed in the moment that neither of them noticed that they were being photographed.

"Honestly, they're all great, I don't know which one I'll expose," Kate said, looking at the photos on the camera screen and walking slowly to them.

"Wait, what? You really want to include it in the exhibition?" Laurie said blankly.

"Of course, and I'll send you all the pictures, Amy," she told her friend, as it was clear to her that she would want them.

"You're a treasure," Amy told her with a smile. Kate nodded with a smile, leaving them alone.

“I love you, Amy soon to be Laurence.”

“I love you too, soon to be my husband,” she smiled and pulled him into another kiss.

For many years, it was just a wicked game he played to make her felt this way. And she was glad for that. Because she had been playing the exact same game with him for two years. And she has never been happier. 

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, English is not my native language, so I apologize for the mistakes.


End file.
